John 19:38-42

AUV(i) 38 After this happened, one of Jesus’ disciples (but secretly, for fear of the Jews), named Joseph from Arimathaea, asked Pilate if he could remove Jesus’ body [from the cross]. Pilate granted him permission, so he went and removed the body from the cross. 39 Nicodemus, the man who first came to Jesus one night, also went with him [i.e., to claim Jesus’ body]. He brought about a seventy-five pound mixture of myrrh and aloes [i.e., aromatic spices used for embalming]. 40 So, they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in linen cloths, with spices, according to customary Jewish burial practices. 41 Now there was an [olive] orchard at the place where Jesus was crucified. And in the orchard there was a new grave site [i.e., a cave-like tomb] where no one had ever been buried. 42 So, they placed Jesus’ body there, for it was the Day of Preparation and that was the closest grave site. [Note: Since this was the day before the Passover Festival, and the next day was also the regular weekly Sabbath, they had to bury the body before sundown to comply with Jewish restrictions against working on a Sabbath day].